What a showstopper of a cake! It's incredibly unique, delicate, and of course absolutely delicious! This cake comes from German bakers — I adapted it to my own taste and fine-tuned the proportions. In the original version the egg yolks were added raw to the cream, but I wasn't a fan of that idea, so I used the egg yolks to make a custard-style cream similar to an English cream (like the one used for ice cream), except instead of milk or heavy cream I used apple juice. The cake uses store-bought puff pastry, which makes the whole process much simpler. The result is a truly one-of-a-kind cake with a flavor unlike anything else. The apple mousse is tender, delicate, and airy yet substantial, the cream layer is impossibly light and melts in your mouth, and both gorgeous layers are perfectly complemented by the crisp, flaky pastry. The combination of flavors is simply wonderful — I highly recommend it!
Ingredients:
- 500 g unleavened puff pastry
- Apple Mousse:
- 400 g apple purée (~800 g apples)
- 200 ml apple juice (I used unsweetened juice)
- 150 g sugar
- 5 egg yolks
- 1½ packets gelatin (15 g)
- 1 packet vanilla sugar (10 g)
- Cream Mousse:
- 500 g heavy cream 30–33%
- 30 g sugar
- ½ packet gelatin (5 g)
How to cook apple mousse cream cake
Thaw the puff pastry ahead of time (you need the rolled kind for this — sheet pastry won't work). If needed, roll the pastry out slightly in one direction. Trace two circles the size you want your cake to be. I made my cake in a 22 cm springform pan — I placed the pan bottom on the dough and traced around it. Cut one of the circles into 8 wedges (a pizza cutter works great for this).
Transfer to a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake in an oven preheated to 200°C for about 10–20 minutes, or until lightly golden.
Make the mousse. Peel the apples and remove the cores. Microwave for about 7–10 minutes, or until completely soft.
Blend thoroughly with an immersion blender, then press through a fine-mesh sieve to remove any remaining fibrous bits. You need 400 g of finished purée — 800 g of apples was enough for me. Let the purée cool completely.
Whisk the egg yolks together with the sugar and vanilla sugar until the mixture lightens significantly and increases in volume.
Pour half of the apple juice into a heavy-bottomed saucepan and place over heat. Add the whisked egg yolk mixture and stir well to combine.
Cook over low heat until slightly thickened, stirring constantly and making sure to scrape the bottom (a silicone spatula works best). The mixture is ready when it just barely thickens, coats the spatula, and holds a clear line when you run your finger across it. Be careful not to let the egg yolks scramble! Let the custard cool.
Bloom the gelatin in the remaining half of the apple juice for 10 minutes, or as directed on the package. Then heat until hot so the gelatin dissolves completely (I do this in the microwave), and let it cool. Pour the gelatin into the bowl while continuing to beat, then beat a little longer.
Place the round pastry layer in your cake pan — mine is 22 cm in diameter (you can line the pan with parchment paper if you'd like, to make it easier to transfer the finished cake). If the pastry puffed up a lot during baking, press it down gently with your hands.
Slowly pour the beaten mousse mixture over the pastry layer, making sure the layer doesn't shift. Check whether the pastry has floated up — if it has, gently press it back down and hold it there for a moment. Refrigerate for a couple of hours until the top of the mousse has set.
Make the cream layer. Bloom the gelatin in 2–3 tablespoons of water for 10 minutes, or as directed on the package. Then heat until hot so the gelatin dissolves completely. Let it cool. Whip the heavy cream to a fairly thick consistency, gradually adding the sugar. Then pour in the gelatin (pour it directly onto the beaters while continuing to whip) and whip a little more.
Evenly arrange the puff pastry wedges on top, pressing them in slightly. Ideally, let the cake sit overnight so it can soften — the bottom layer will become nice and tender while the top wedges stay crispy. That said, you can serve it right away if needed.
To remove the finished cake, I run a hair dryer around the outside of the pan and then release the springform latch — or you can simply run a knife along the inside edge to loosen the cake from the pan. I placed a candied cherry in the center and dusted the top of the cake with powdered sugar through a fine-mesh sieve.
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